Whisper City
by Archica
Summary: Multi-chapter VashxMeryl fic. Vash and Meryl begin having freakish nightmares as they near the mysterious Whisper City. Who's behind them, and why is Rem commanding Vash to kill Meryl?
1. Prologue

Whisper Citry: Prologue By Archica  


My second Trigun fic. Will be VashxMeryl, with a possibility of some WolfwoodxMillie here and there. This will be a horror fic (or you may want to call it a psychological thriller). There will probably be some gore and maybe some disturbing imagery (but only if you're sensitive). Oh yeah, there will more than likely be spoilers scattered all over the place. This is fanfiction, after all. 

Prologue: 

He couldn't believe his eyes. He lifted his trembling hands to his face to rub his eyes roughly, just to make sure that what he saw was truly there. His eyes were right. She was standing there, no more than ten feet away from him. Beautiful raven hair danced across her shoulders. The white, billowing kimono flew freely in the breeze. She looked more like an angel now than she ever had. For all Vash knew, she may have been one. 

"Rem!" he cried, reaching out for her. 

She was suddenly a few feet further away, although Vash had not seen her move. "You can't touch me, Vash. Not since you've touched another woman." 

"What do you mean?" he asked her, having stopped reaching for her suddenly. 

Her voice was somehow different than he remembered. Still beautifully soft, yet it had the melody of some unknown song in it. "You've touched another woman. That woman." She said, lifting a finger to point at a large doorway that had appeared from seemingly nowhere. 

In the doorway, there came an image, slowly fading into crystal clear vision. Vash recognized it as a portrait of Meryl, although it somehow didn't seem like her. Her eyes were darker than he'd ever seen, her mouth wide in a viscous grin. Her hair created a black shadow over her face. 

"I haven't touched her! She's just … a traveling companion!" Vash told her desperately. 

"You've touched her, Vash, whether your realize it or not. You've fell under her spell. She's trying to replace me! She's trying to make you forget me!" Rem said, face barely visible beneath the flowing strands of silken hair. 

"No! It isn't like that! Meryl would never try to take your place!" 

Suddenly the wind stopped blowing and Rem's hair became still as it fell limply over her arms. "You've chosen her over me. You're going to allow her to destroy your memory of me!" 

Vash then became aware that Rem was getting further and further away from him, somehow floating into the distance. "Rem, wait! You don't understand! I still love you!" 

Rem stopped then, and started to float closer. "You still love me, Vash?" 

Vash nodded vigorously. "Of course I do! I never stopped!" 

She was getting closer and closer still. Vash's heart began pounding wildly. She was so close, and getting closer by the second. "Then… you'll do me a favor?" she asked, now only a few feet away. 

"Anything you ask!" Vash told her, as she neared. 

"Kill Meryl Stryfe!" She was face-to-face with him now, her brown eyes burning into his. 

"What?!" he asked, jerking back away from her. 

"Kill her, before she can destroy me!" Rem cried, inching toward him. 

"Rem, you're not yourself! You're the one who taught me to never take another life!" 

Suddenly, before Vash could say anymore, Rem vanished, leaving behind only the white kimono in a rumpled pile. But as quickly as she disappeared, she was back, lying on the floor, naked, covered in blood. Wounds were scattered all over her form, wide open gashes, large black bruises, and smoking third-degree burns. She was writhing and twitching, screaming agonized cries and calling his name through her sobs. "Save me, Vash!" she yelled, a great deal of blood splattering from her mouth with every word. "Save me!" 

He dropped to his knees by her body and looked upon her helplessly, having no idea what to do for her. He frantically looked for a source of the wounds, something that had attacked or hurt her. There was nothing. Just her, him, and the empty kimono. Then, his eyes hesitantly drifted to the doorway, where he had seen the portrait of Meryl. There he saw his friend holding a huge, flaming sword that was dripping with blood. 


	2. Chapter 1

Whisper City: Chapter 1 By Archica  


Chapter One 

Author's Notes: I'm borrowing something from the manga here. As far as I could tell from the translations, Wolfwood hasn't died in the manga yet. So I'm just assuming here that he will survive the end of the manga. If anyone knows this is just plain wrong (it may very well be) then just consider this an Alternate Universe fic in which Wolfwood did not die. ^_^ Also, in the manga Vash calls Meryl by her given name (Meryl) instead of "insurance girl". I don't really know what he calls Millie, but to make it easier, I'm having him call her by her given name as well. Oh, and in case you don't know, -san after a name is just a way of addressing someone respectfully. It's actually the general way people refer to each other unless they're fairly close or are small children. 

Vash knew it was going to be a very bad day when he woke up screaming. He was still trembling when he climbed out of bed and headed blindly for the shower. He couldn't seem to force himself to calm down. That dream had been far too haunting to merely forget, or even shove to the back of his mind. He'd had nightmares about Rem's death before, but never like that. Never had he seen her in such pain. All he could think about were those horrible wounds all over her, ones that put his to shame. And all that blood…. 

"Stop it!" he commanded himself. Scrubbing his face with steaming hot water, he tried to think of something else. Anything else. Suddenly Meryl's devious portrait came to his mind, and he jerked the shower curtain back roughly to try to make himself forget that too. 

He knew Meryl would never do something like that. Try to replace Rem? To destroy Vash's memory of her? She wouldn't even consider it. He toweled off and slipped on his shorts. He was going to stop thinking about that, he had to. 

A much appreciated distraction presented itself when a knock came at the door. "Vash-san, I finished sewing up your coat." 

Great. It was Meryl. Vash considered telling her to just leave it by the door, but then decided against it. She'd stayed up all night mending the tears and holes that had shown up in his coat through the week. The least he could do was thank her. He opened the door and smiled at her. "Thanks, Meryl." 

She returned his smile and walked on in, laying the coat across a nearby chair. "It wasn't too bad this time. Just try to be more careful" she said, now standing over his bed and beginning to fold the scattered pieces of clothing. She packed them all neatly into his bag and zipped it up. "There. Maybe your clothes won't be so wrinkled now." 

He grinned and thanked her, idly wondering if she could tell how fake he was this morning. "Think we should head out early today?" 

Meryl thought for a moment before answering "I'd say leaving around midday would be good, don't you?" 

He nodded. Since the whole Knives issue was over with, Vash, Meryl, Millie, and Wolfwood had taken to traveling around the planet together, if nothing more than to pass the time. Vash was a natural wanderer, as was Wolfwood, but Meryl and Millie followed only out of habit. They'd been traveling with these men for so long that they couldn't imagine life without them in it. The only difference from the old days was that they all discussed and planned where they would go together, and things were much more lighthearted, since the dread of facing Knives and the danger of meeting his minions were now gone. In fact, until he had that horrible nightmare, Vash had been happier now than he could ever hope. The violence in his life was at an all-time low, as now he only dealt with the strange situations he came across, instead of being targeted by assassins, gunmen, and all other manner of dangerous creatures. 

Wolfwood had become like a brother to him, as they could both get drunk and have a great time just talking or making fools of themselves at the bar. Meryl had taken to sewing up his coat once a week, to make sure that it didn't get so bad that it couldn't be salvaged. She had also taken over most of the planning, as she was the only one who actually tried to make plans to begin with. The others would have been just as happy roaming around, but they all admitted that they would have missed some great spots without Meryl's plans. 

Millie was still as sweet and sharp as she always was, but Meryl seemed to be getting lonely when Millie took off in the night to Wolfwood's room and returned hours later to say that they were "just talking". Vash and Meryl both knew better, but while Vash found it amusing, and Meryl smiled and giggled, Vash could tell that Meryl hated it when Millie would leave her friend's company in favor of her lover's. 

Meryl walked toward the door. "I'm going to pack up a few of Millie's things. She's still in Wolfwood-san's room." 

Vash couldn't help but notice the hint of bitterness in Meryl's voice. "Why don't you just talk to Millie? Tell her that you're lonely." 

"That would be awfully selfish of me, don't you think?" Meryl asked him. "It's not right to expect Millie to discard her own relationships just because I don't have one." 

"But you do have a relationship. You have one with her." 

Meryl smiled. "You're right. I'll talk to her." 

In a moment, Meryl was gone and Vash had almost forgotten about the dream. It was still lingering in the back of his head, but he was successful in not thinking much about it. He finished getting ready and walked out of his room. He thought he'd relax and have another drink at the local bar before they moved on out. He made his way down a couple of blocks, taking in the scenery. The town was small and quaint, comfortable and clean. Somewhere in his thoughts, Vash wondered if the next town would be so nice. 

Upon reaching the bar, he walked in casually and sat down at a small table in the corner. Half an hour and three drinks later, Wolfwood walked in and spotted him. He ordered a drink for himself and sat down beside Vash. "The girls want to leave in about an hour." He said between taking drinks. 

Vash nodded. "I kind of dread leaving this town. It's so nice here." 

"Yeah," Wolfwood agreed, "it's real nice. We're heading to Whisper City, though, and I've heard it's a nice place too." 

Vash smiled. "I hope so." 

Wolfwood eyed him strangely. "What's wrong with you today? You sound like you're half-asleep." 

"I think I am." Vash said, leaning his head on the table. 

"Up late last night?" 

"Not as late as you, I'm sure." Vash said with a hint of a grin. 

Wolfwood laughed and took another drink. "I don't know. You and Meryl seem pretty snug lately." 

Suddenly the words from Vash's nightmare came back to his mind. _You've touched another woman. You've touched her_. Is that what it really looked like? Vash shook his head almost violently. "No, we're not like that!" 

Wolfwood was a bit surprised. "Okay, whatever. Don't get so upset about it." 

Vash forced a smile onto his face. "Sorry. I'm just really tired, that's all." 

"You must be. You don't usually mope around like this. Maybe Whisper City will make you feel better." He stood up and laid some money on the table. "Finish your drink and let's get moving. I'm sure the girls won't mind leaving a bit early." 

Vash tried to force another smile, but he knew it was useless, particularly with Wolfwood. Instead he continued to drink while his friend left the bar. He stared at the ice cubes shifting in his glass. Try as he might, he simply couldn't get the dream out of his head. He wondered then if he ever would be able to. 

He stood up slowly and added a few dollars to what Wolfwood had already left. He walked out of the bar and met the others outside the hotel, rechecking their packs and bags. "Ready to get going, Vash-san?" Millie asked. 

He nodded and the four of them began their walk. Whisper City was only two miles away, and they were sure they make it there soon enough to have a good lunch in town. But Vash wasn't excited, nor was he in any hurry to get there. Something about the very name of the town gave him a strange sense of dread. An ominous feeling came over him as they left the previous city, and all he could hear was Rem's voice from his dream: "Kill Meryl Stryfe!" 

Author's Notes: Next chapter will be up soon! 


	3. Chapter 2

Whisper City Chapter 2  


Whisper City was something to behold. Although the sun remained steadily in the afternoon sky above their heads, it looked like it was already Dusk. In fact, the entire city seemed to be shrouded in some dark shadow. Torches and candles were seen everywhere, creating a beautiful contrast against the dark blue background of the sky. Why did it look like night here during the day? 

Meryl thought it was gorgeous, and used the beauty of it to make her forget the splitting headache she'd had since they arrived in the city. Even the people in the city were beautiful. Nearly all of the residents had long, silky hair and pale eyes. Strangely, although it looked like the evening, the air in the town was warm and moist. Because of that, most of the inhabitants were wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts. Meryl felt like dropping her cloak right then. 

She hurried ahead of the others, eager to find the hotel. She wanted nothing more than to unpack, slip into something less constrictive, and go exploring the city before it got too dark. When the hotel came into sight, she dashed inside and got the usual: three rooms, one for Vash, one for Wolfwood, and one for her and Millie to share (although she knew where Millie would end up). 

They were all pleased to find that each room had a great view of the city from a wooden balcony. Meryl and Millie stood on their balcony, watching the beautiful townspeople walking back and forth to the strange shops and bars. Meryl opened her sack and began digging through the clothes. At the bottom she found a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a short, plaid shirt. "I stuck these in at the last minute before leaving home years ago, but I've never had a reason to wear them." She told Millie. 

Millie was pulling out a long but thin sleeveless dress. "I packed something I thought I'd never use too." 

The two girls giggled as they changed into their outfits. They quickly left their rooms and headed for the streets, where they planned to hit every shop and bar in the city. The first shop they entered was selling a wide variety of colorful tank tops and shorts. Millie bought an outfit; Meryl broke over and bought one tank top. The next shop was selling straw hats, and the one after that was selling sandals. "It must be hot year-round here." Meryl said. "But that's kind of strange. It's so dark that you'd think it'd be the other way around." 

"This whole town is strange, but it's very pretty, don't you think?" 

Meryl agreed with Millie. Everything in the town was strange. Why were all the people so beautiful? Why was it so hot? Why was it so dark? So many mysteries were pounding Meryl's brain. She finally decided to just forget about them all and enjoy herself. They'd be leaving in a few days and all this would just be a memory. 

Finally they arrived at the bar. They spotted a corner booth and sat down. A glamorous looking waitress approached their table. "Can I help you?" she asked, her voice sounding strangely like music. 

Meryl stuttered a bit before ordering their drinks. Within a few seconds, the waitress returned with their order. Meryl wondered how she got them so fast. She looked into the swirling liquid, wondering if it was really what she'd ordered. She suddenly shook her head. She shouldn't think of things like that. No one there knew her, why would anyone want to poison her? She took a few sips. Delicious. 

Meryl had never had such a wonderful drink before, and she quickly ordered another. After only a short period of time, Meryl became aware that she had simultaneously ordered six drinks, and downed them all. She had never drunk like that before. Ever. She looked at Millie and was surprised that she had only two glasses in front of her. "Don't you like this, Millie?" 

"Not really. It's too bitter." Millie replied, looking over the menu in an attempt to find some sort of dessert. 

Meryl started becoming dizzy. Suddenly the whole room was getting fuzzy. It looked as if a bucket of water had been poured over Meryl's eyes. She glanced nervously around the room, trying to clear her vision, but was instead met with images she never wanted to see. Everyone in the bar looked very different than they had when Meryl and Millie had first entered. The townspeople were no longer beautiful, their f aces no longer soft and friendly. They now had distorted, twisted faces with scraggly black hair and blood red eyes. And it seemed as if every single one of them had stopped what they were doing to look directly at Meryl. 

As the creatures slowly got up from their seats and began edging toward her, Meryl instinctively jumped from her chair and called to her partner. "Millie! Millie, look!" she cried. 

When no response came, Meryl turned to look at Millie, but Millie was not there. Only an empty chair remained. She called out Millie's name several more times before returning her gaze to the creatures that were approaching her. They were dangerously close now, and she backed up until she met the wall behind her. 

Finally, one of them was upon her, reaching out with thin, wrinkled hands. She screamed, louder and harder than she ever had before. It was a blood-curdling cry of terror, and it could be heard all throughout the city. Shortly after, the bar when black, and Meryl faded into unconsciousness. 

When she awoke, she was laying on her back on the ground outside the bar. Millie, Vash, and Wolfwood were standing over her. "What happened?" she groaned, rubbing her sore forehead with her right hand and pushing herself up with her left. 

Millie squatted down to her level. "You had too many drinks in the bar." 

"Too many drinks? I just had…. I had…" 

"Six." Millie finished. 

Meryl began rubbing her forehead harder. "Oh, God. I got dru-"… Meryl stopped herself. "No… that's not it. I'm starting to remember… the people in the bar changed." 

Vash looked at Meryl strangely, then looked at Millie with a questioning stare. "What's she talking about?" He asked. 

Millie shrugged. "I don't know. How did they change?" she asked Meryl. 

"You didn't see it?! They had wrinkled skin and red eyes! They were all coming at me!" 

Millie looked very worried. "You passed out. After that last drink, you stood up and stumbled around to my side of the table. Then you screamed really loud and fainted." 

"No, that's not what happened!" Meryl screamed, struggling to get to her feet. "Those creatures attacked me!" 

"What creatures?" Wolfwood asked. 

"The people in the bar!" Meryl was near hysterical now. 

Vash put his hand on her shoulder. "Meryl, you had too much to drink. Go back to the hotel and get some rest. We can talk more about it in the morning." 

Vash's voice calmed her down a bit. She took a deep breath and began walking back to the hotel. Millie ran after her, leaving Vash and Wolfwood alone in front of the bar. Vash eyed the building. 

"What do you think?" Wolfwood asked him. 

"There's definitely more to it than Meryl getting drunk." 

"Are you sure? Millie didn't see anything wrong." 

Vash narrowed his eyes toward the bar. "Maybe, but something wasn't right about it. Meryl isn't the type of person who makes up horror stories, and she's also not the type of person to get drunk." 

Wolfwood nodded. "Then let's check it out." 


End file.
